Thursday, July 21, 2011

Mini Tarts, Mini Arts at Früute

Cupcakes are old news and cookies are ubiquitous. It's time for delicately crafted mini tarts with creative flavors. Welcome Früute in West Hollywood.

Früute is a collaboration of two sisters and their mother. The mother develops the recipes for the tarts, the daughter (at least one of them) brings her experience in branding. It's a tiny shop on Santa Monica Blvd serving gorgeous tiny tarts like this Wasabi with blood orange center, frangipane in pistachio crust, garnished with mint leaf tempura.

Wasabi Tart
There are more than a dozen flavors now, which you can check out on their website (the photos there are beautiful). The mini tarts go for $3 each, which I initially considered expensive for the size, but considering that  a cup-sized cake dough and a piece of cookie these days go for $3, these meticulously crafted tarts are of better value.

IMG_1930

My favorite tart was the creme brulee with Madagascar vanilla cream custard, vanilla crust, topped with torched sugar and grilled apricot. It's a classic dessert elevated with the crust and the apricot slice.
Creme Brulee Tart

I also liked the Passion fruit (passion fruit ganache with cremeaux in a vanilla crust, topped with a "tropical [macaron]") but the macaron on top was soggy from sitting on top of the tart. It's cute but the tart would probably be better with a different topping.

Yuzu Tart
Yuzu in vanilla crust, topped with golden raspberry and white chocolate

Here are some of the other tarts I enjoyed (yes, I tried almost all of them, but I shared!):
The Citron, which is basically a lime meringue tart
Lemon Meringue Tart

Araguani chocolate in chocolate crust, topped with gold leaf and rose petal. "Black Pepper" with pepper-infused bittersweet chocolate, forest berry center, layered with frangipane in a chocolate crust, topped with candied black pepper crisp and blueberries.

Beautiful tarts with both classic and more adventurous flavors. There's no place to sit here, but there is free parking in the plaza, so skip the cupcake, drop in and grab a couple tarts for a finer afternoon delight, or get a box. It makes for a wonderful gift! Now you know which flavors you should bring for me ...

2 comments:

lynn

i ate every single one! i was high for hours....

Deborah

I wish I was living in LA so I could try them!
Fortunatly, in Paris, we have a new concept that opened which is also REALLY good: Popelini. They are not tarts but choux bun.

Gourmet Pigs   © 2008. Template Recipes by Emporium Digital

TOP